1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a receiving device that receives the pay display information transmitted from a broadcasting station and displays it. The present invention is most suitable for receivers for FM teletext multiplexed with FM broadcast radiowaves and which is then transmitted.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a service using the medium of FM broadcast radiowaves, where service information, such as character information, is multiplexed with FM (Frequency Modulation) broadcast radiowaves--audio information--and then transmitted, and the service information is caused to appear on a display means provided on the reception side. This service is known as FM teletext and has been coming in practice as a visual information radio.
Specifically, the FM broadcasting station on the transmission side transmits the FM broadcast radiowaves with which display information, such as characters and numbers, has been multiplexed. The radiowaves are received on the reception side with an FM radio with a liquid-crystal display, which separates the display information, such as characters and numbers, from the FM broadcast radiowaves, converts the display information into character codes, and displays the characters on the liquid-crystal display unit to enable the user to view, for example, a weather forecast or traffic information on the screen. With the FM teletext system, some of the service information is available free of charge and specific kinds of the service information may be provided with charge.
When the pay service information is provided for the users in the FM teletext system, the company operating the FM teletext must collect license fees in a suitable way. If the company tries to collect license fees according to a monthly pay contract with the users, some users are liable to fall behind in their payment, making it complex to manage the users. Furthermore, since it is expected that more than one company will run a service information providing business, each company practically cannot pinpoint the users of its service and collect license fees.
On the part of users, they have to go to the company or the financial institution to pay their licence fees, imposing a burden on them. Furthermore, in the case of FM teletext, it is practically impossible to stop the supply of service information only to the users who have fallen behind in their payments, because FM broadcast radiowaves are used.